OHH Exclusive Interview with SOCE the Elemental Wizard

Photo by Keith Huang

(Soce's "Too Many Fish" ft. Prince Cat-Eyez, Lester Greene, Humility's Hand, Tim'm West, Amnesia Sparkles, Foxxjazell, Mistamaker, Tori Fixx, Wayne Latham, JFP, DELACRUZ and Chewy - Download HERE.)

I've never come up with interview questions as quickly as I did for an artist as I did for Soce. He had an appearance in the Pick Up the Mic DVD, he initially came across as what some gay rappers did not want people to think of when they thought of gay hip hop, yet there was no denying the man can rap. On top of that, he is one of the kindest, most respectful people in the game today, something that is not seen on a frequent basis and goes really far. His new CD is "Master of Fine Arts" and the CD release party in NYC is this Saturday (August 1) and in L.A. on August 16th at MJ's Bar (with Benni E and Hollywood). Get to know Soce:

Exactly how long have you been doing this "out hip hop" thing?

I've been rapping for over 15 years. I started in Jr High School with a track called "Help Make the Violence End", which stated that although many people wanted to be violent because they thought it was cool, it was not the way to go! The second verse was about this time in 6th grade when I got into the one fight I've ever had in my whole life. The guy who picked on me that day happened to be the one kid who was actually smaller than me, so I bested him by tripping him, sitting on him and giving him a nuggie (ie rubbing my knuckles against his skull).

A few years later, I realized I might be gay, but I didn't officially come out until 2000, at which point I wrote my first song as an out rapper. It was called "H but H", which stood for "Hot but Het". It was all about my anger at good-looking men who are straight! It has a universal vibe about wanting what you can't have, so it's one of the few classic joints I still sometimes perform at current shows, although usually as a remixed version.

Why did you choose to rap? What or who is your inspiration?

I'm the youngest of five children, so I had to be different. While everyone else joined the chorus in Jr High, I joined the school band on the trombone. I've always been a huge fan of hip hop music, even though I grew up in rural New Hampshire. Some of my favorite rappers as a kid were A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, The Pharcyde, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Masta Ace.

You won the Shade 45 Gay Rapper contest on Sirius Radio. Do you think their contest was based in comedy or do you feel they were serious about judging the gay rappers?

It's really hard to tell what was going on behind the scenes. I feel like maybe the contest started out as a big joke, but then when people like Bry'Nt, JFP, Solomon and Shorty Roc started coming through with true skills, it turned some heads and hopefully opened a few eyes. It seemed like most of the initial judges were looking for someone goofy and gay, but hopefully my improvised freestyles and hastily written verses helped showcase some of my skills as well. The final round was based on audience decision, so that felt like more of a genuine rap battle.

I would love to see a second round featuring the new players in the game, such as Lester, Last-O, Bone, Twizz, etc. I'd love to come back and be one of the judges.. Not sure if I'd want to compete again because lightning generally doesn't strike twice! Also, I’m very excited to see how this Gay Rapper Throwdown on Kay Slay’s show turns out. As long as out rappers keep infiltrating the mainstream hip hop world through mixtapes, radio, website and other promotional appearances, we’ll change from being outsiders to becoming part of the norm.

From day one, you were wearing wizard outfits and have the long and interesting name, Soce the Elemental Wizard. Do you think other rappers take you seriously? Should they? How serious do you take yourself?

I like to call my type of music "fun hop". It's not terribly serious, but it's not all jokes either. People like to polarize when labeling styles, but my music contains the full range of all emotions. Those who haven’t really listened to my music might think I'm just fooling around, but once they start checking out my beat production and 4-to-6-syllable rhyme flows, hopefully they’ll realize that I put in work just like everyone else.

I've been meeting up with a lot of the talented new rappers around the scene lately, either in person, on the phone or online, and I feel we share a real kinship. We all know what it’s like to be grinding away forever, and we can only make it if we look out for each other. I can come through with the gully street flow on other people's tracks, and sometimes I have hardcore rappers spitting more comical flows on my own track. Ultimately, I just want people to feel good and be happy. Not every song has to be about life or death scenarios.

Photo by Keith Huang

You have been involved in a lot of interesting collaborations including your infamous video collab with Johnny Dangerous and QBoy. What's your favorite collab project to date?

I'm most excited about my track Too Many Fish that I just finished mixing down. It features Prince Cat-Eyez, Lester Greene, Humility's Hand, Tim'm West, Amnesia Sparkles, Foxxjazell, Mistamaker, Tori Fixx, Wayne Latham, JFP, DELACRUZ and Chewy. Each guest rapper only spits three bars, so the whole track is only four minutes long. It was a fun exercise putting it all together and hearing what each rapper could do when given such little time on the mic. DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Other new collabos coming out include Boyfriend featuring Wayne Latham, Falling Down featuring Lester Greene and Tori Fixx, Bad featuring Bigg Nugg and the Squeeze Remix featuring Bone Intell, as well as upcoming projects with Benni E, Twizza and Last Offense, plus recent guest verses on tracks by Tomas, PsychoSexy, Sonny Lewis and The Kims. And that's just the jump-off!  Anyone else who’d like to work with me.. Holla at ya boy!

Tell us about Master of Fine Arts, is there a theme to it? What will people find in it?

I'm jumping into an education vibe lately. I figure that yes, I did go to Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University, so why try to hide that? School is cool. That's what put me in the proper mindstate to take me to where I am now. It's almost striking out against Kanye's whole The College Dropout and subsequent album titles. In fact, my next album Life Lessons (coming out in 2011, probably) will continue that general line of thought.

The album contains a whole mix of styles, ranging from classic angry hip hop to salsa, techno, house, jazz, club joints and more. It features over ten special guests, including Deadlee, Tori Fixx and introducing the always lovely Amnesia Sparkles. Many of the tracks feature me singing, playing live violin, bass or electric guitar, plus my buddy Paul Bauer plays guitar on a few tracks, and another friend Navin Manglani plays the cello. 

The songs are catchy, upbeat and easygoing.. Hopefully you’ll pop it in your cars and iPods and keep singing along as you play it over and over again, discovering new secrets after repeated listens.

What kinds of themes do you prefer to rap about?

I like to take any sort of struggle I've had in my life and blow it up so that it feels like it's a huge deal. Often times I'm fighting against monotony ("stagnancy!") and being unable to manage my time ("Slippin Away", "Work/Play").. I feel like I can never get anything done! Other tracks are about feeling like I don't belong ("Moving On", "Leave"). I have very unusual views on relationships ("I Love You", "Boyfriend"). I wrote a gospel song ("Rob"), some story-telling adventures ("Come Fly Away", "Searching") and even humorous tracks about food ("The Mic", "Bad", "Vegetables").

In general, I won’t write a new song unless it’s exploring a new territory for me. That’s why I rarely write tracks these days simply about being awesome, being horny or telling you my biography. I feel that’s well-traveled ground, so I prefer to veer off into a place that’s unusual but still plenty accessible enough to be enjoyable for all. 

In interviews you seem very cognizant of not saying anything negative about other rappers. Why is that?

There's enough negativity out there already without me needing to add to it. I don't get any kicks by putting people down. Even if the track is whack, that artist still put in a lot of work to get it out there, so I appreciate their effort and hope that their subsequent pieces will continue to show improvement! Everybody has an important story to tell, and that way I don’t have to eat any of my words when a person suddenly starts cranking out the hits.

You are also a comedian. What made you take that route?

I found that most music shows often are quite loud, last for hours, and you only see around 3 or 4 acts. By contrast, comedy shows are generally only 90 minutes long max, quieter (no intense drum or bass) and you often get to see a good 10 or so acts. If one act gets stale, the next one will be on its way very soon. It's much easier to meet more performers and network with them on music, videos, shows, interviews and other exciting projects! I really enjoy attending comedy shows, even when I'm not there to hit the stage myself. Even when I’m at home, I love watching standup specials on Comedy Central. I like going to live music shows too, but they can often be quite exhausting, so I don't go to those as often.

I just feel really at home in the comedy scene, and comedians keep booking me for their shows, so it seems to be a good fit right now. Every now and then, I will do a few seconds of banter comedy during my set, and it’s a huge high when I can make the audience laugh. But ultimately my main focus is and always will be making kick-ass music.

Name 2 new artist whose talent you respect, and 2 old school ones.

There aren't a lot of brand new artists I listen to, but some of my favorites from the last few years are TI and Juelz Santana. I think TI just has an amazing flow, and he carves out some incredible stories. He really got me into the whole chill, laidback Southern style. Juelz has that pure thug stylin, don't take no mess strut, as well as good skills on the mic. Plus he's easy on the eyes as well.

Some of my favorite old school MCs include Souls of Mischief and De La Soul. SoM's track "Cab Fare" is untouchable. I love the combination of laid-back storytelling mixed in with undertones of genuine frustration at some of the difficulties they face regularly. Their later tracks as the Hieroglyphics are excellent as well. De La also had that great mix of silliness and empathy. Their album De La Soul is Dead got me through the summer of 2000 in Louisville, Kentucky when I came to grips with my homosexuality. These groups didn't have to hide behind the typical gangsta tropes and motifs; they simply talked about their own lives, which were compelling enough.

The gay or "out" hip hop scene has grown significantly since youstarted. Do you feel there is still the same kind of community that there was back when the Peace Out festivals were done? What is your take on the current state of out hip hop?

The current out hip hop scene is much larger and stronger than it was even just a few years ago. A lot of these new rappers are extremely talented and can fit in with the street at all shows, gay or straight. And that's what we really want; not just rappers who will surprise people by being gay, but rappers who will surprise audiences by dominating live shows.. and also happening to be gay.

I have plans to collaborate with many of these rappers left and right, because I'm ready for the new hotness, and I embrace change. I'm still down to collaborate with the more established rappers as well! Let's make it happen, all of us!!

With the influx of new members, I look forward to numerous gay hip hop parties and showcases popping up all over the country. Eventually, out hip hop will grow to become a scene that everyone discusses regularly, and no longer a niche genre that us out rappers talk about amongst ourselves.I’m working on putting together regular monthly out hip hop sessions in nyc to introduce the city to our crop of talented MCs.. I believe a few others are putting together some of their own events as well.

If you could do a collaboration with ANYONE, gay or straight, who would it be?

I would probably be most excited to have Nas spit on one of my tracks, because he always speaks from the heart, and he's got one of the illest flows ever. I feel like we could come up with a tight concept and run with it. In terms of gay artists, I'd like to mix it up with one of the nationally famous ones, such as Ari Gold or Cazwell to help give them a fresh, new style and put my own name on the map.

Do you believe a out hip hop artist who was out from day one will ever get any kind of mainstream success?

Absolutely. I think that with enough hustle and determination, plus true skills and a top quality product, almost anyone can make it if they really work to push themselves as a number one priority. Plenty of out rappers are constantly doing national and international tours, so even if they're not megastars in the eyes of mainstream media, they're still filling up bars and clubs all over the world, and they seem quite competent at keeping in touch with their ever-growing fan bases. It's not going to be long before one or more of them gets "discovered" as a "hot new artist".

You were recently in a Sierra Mist commercial, how did that come about?

I'm good friends with Shockwave (the main performer in the commercial), so he invited me, along with some of his other performer friends, to drop by the day of the filming. I put on my Sunday best attire and tried to act "surprised" as I walked by and "found out" that he was offering free beats. I actually rapped for a good 3 or 4 minutes straight, so it was just great coincidence that the part they chose of me was when I was specifically advertising for my new album "Master of Fine Arts".

There's actually a huge amount of talent in that commercial, including renowned beat boxers Kid Lucky and Reggie Watts, as well as Broadway actor James Monroe Inglehart (the singer with the blue cap at the end).

What's next for Soce?

I'm actually cutting back to just around 10 shows per month so that I have more time to do music studio work. I'm crazy behind with all my projects.. I gotta prioritize and stay on top of things. Plus I keep starting new tracks and collabos.. I can't sit still! I'm already more than halfway done with my fourth album Life Lessons. Eventually I'd like to get a chance to shoot more music and comedy videos too. More touring of the midwest and west coast, hopefully get back to Europe, hit the south and all other spots. Basically do what I'm doing now, but more intensely. And to keep meeting up with every out rapper out there.. Like Pokemon, I gotta catch 'em all!

Is there anything you'd like our readers to know that we didn't ask?

Last year, I made a bunch of fun videogame reviews that featured my audio review playing over music from the game itself. Also I've been co-hosting a monthly math competition with Jen Dziura that just ended when our venue decided to get rid of all non-food-related events. I still create weekly and daily math problems on facebook and twitter. Earlier this year, Jen and I were even hired by a public television channel to write a spec script for a pilot about math. It's still in the works, but we have gotten paid for our efforts so far, which makes it feel at least somewhat official.

I don't get out much socially because I'm either performing at shows, doing video shoots, working in the studio or else networking somewhere. But right now, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's nice to spend an evening with my friends or just watching TV, but if I do that too many nights in a row, it just feels like I'm wasting my life away. Also, I hope to take a few random trips outside the city to visit friends and family.. NYC is the greatest place ever, but it can sometimes eat you alive if you don't take a break from it every now and then.

And most importantly, I make beats!!! Please hit me up and buy some of them!!! I’ve produced music for God-des and She (Lick It, which they ended up performing live on The L Word and became one of their big hits), QBoy (two tracks on his new album Moxie), Cat Eyez, Athens Boys Choir, Humility’s Hand, Scotty the Blue Bunny, End of the Weak, Carolyn Castiglia, MF Grimm, Jen Kwok, Julio Granados, PM US and Migs, Bacivo Nuggets, Rob Cantrell, Access Immortal, Keith Zarriello, Sair, Many V.E.R.S.E.S. and more. I’ll happily make one from scratch for you, or we can use one of the hundreds I’ve already put together.

I also offer numerous other studio services, including music recording, mixing, mastering, filming, video transfer and video editing.. Pretty much if it involves me sitting at a computer and clicking on stuff, I can do it. I’ll play live violin on your track as well. Hire me now, before the rates go up!

Any shout outs?

Big ups to all the websites out there on the front lines, reporting the latest about the new crop of talented performers, including outhiphop.com,gayhiphop.com,outmusicinsider.com,theapiary.org,cityscoopsny.com,badslava.com/blog, and all the performers out there who are putting in their hardest work to make it happen!!!! Keep at it!!!!!

Comments

[Rex Stone]

I enjoyed that interview, I learned things about this artist that I did not know. Keep up the good work Soce!

[Byron]

I stumbled upon this interview because I get alerts about anything Exeter related.

I always think its amazing to see where fellow Exonians end up. It's pretty awesome what you're trying to do, blazing a trail away from the mainstream rap culture. Good luck!

[Molly]

Great interview! Your work is always new and fresh Soce, love it!

[baron.]

Great interview boo..

[lester Greene]

Okay,what to say without sounding corny..... Soce is truly a genius. I am beginning to see that more and more. If I can be frank for a second.... When Deadlee first put me on about Soce, I wasn't too impressed. Why?I don't know. I guess I was just ego-tripping and couldn't see clearly. But as I got to interact and work with him, I began to understand his Table of Contents. Now Soce represents a book that I cannot put down. He's just a great guy with a great, big heart. I never met someone so heralded and so humble at the same time. Soce
is great for music. He is hip hop.

P.S. If I ruled the world, a Nas and Soce collabo would be in the cards and so would a Soce/lester collabo remix
for "hot but het."

And in my crystal ball, I see a video too! Voilà.

[J.r.]

I really Enjoyed that. You are truly wise and inspirational. And from what I have seen and heard a great talent. I love you style

[BIGG NUGG]

Bigg Ups Soce!

And damn...Delacruz always doing the damn thing!

[mistamaker]

keep up the good work Soce ! we love you..x

[Rex Stone]

Damn,I hate being the one but...are yall listening to the same song I was? The song is weak,and very simple! Maybe its not too many fish in the sea, they are just being ate up by the bigger and better ones,"the circle of life." If you want respect you have to earn it!But as always that's just my opinion!

[LarryLove]

I think Lester Greene hit the nail on the head when he said that Soce is a Genius. If there was a superlative for Genius it would still not convey that first and foremost Soce the rapper is a Humanitarian. Yea I am using Rapper and Humanitarian in the same sentence.
Now let me put in a plug for a collaboration between Soce and Lester Greene.